The Class of Nonviolence, alas, does not address the environment directly – we typically stuff environmental issues into lesson eight, which is about animals. Another approach could be to look at the life and works of Edward Abbey, an author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues. He fits in well with lesson seven, on civil disobedience. Abbey’s Desert Solitaire has been called “The Walden of the Southwest”; we read Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” in this session. Abbey’s most famous novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang, centers on a small group of eco-warriors who travel the American West attempting stop uncontrolled human expansion by committing acts of sabotage against industrial development. To this day, eco-sabotage is called “monkeywrenching.” and the practice can be used to begin a discussion about whether destruction of property can be nonviolent and morally acceptable.
A 2007 documentary about Edward Abbey, A Voice in the Wilderness, available for purchase from Canyonlands Natural History Association; you can watch the entire film for free online:
wow! this is just so awesome!!
when is there a next ‘Class of Nonviolence’ I could tag along?
We don’t have a full class scheduled, but we will be spending a day with NW Vista faculty and staff on Friday, June 12.